FLYING HIGH: Adreian Payne dunks the ball over St. Louis’ Dwayne Evans during Michigan State’s 65-61 victory in the NCAA tournament’s third round.AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio — He scored and he defended, he led and he even mopped sweat off the floor at one point. And despite Saint Louis’ best efforts to muck up the game and slow down Draymond Green, Michigan State’s All-American senior made all the right plays down the stretch of a 65-61 Spartans victory.

Yesterday’s third-round NCAA tournament West Regional win was far more hard work than work of art, which is just the way the top-seeded Spartans (29-7) like it. They bested Saint Louis in an ugly, physical slugfest, a hard-earned ticket to face Louisville in the Sweet 16 Thursday in Phoenix, in a game that promises to be every bit as nasty.

“I knew it’d be a physical war,’’ said Spartans coach Tom Izzo. “We didn’t pretend to be God’s gift to basketball. We’re a working-man’s group, and we had to work [yesterday].’’

None worked harder than Green, unsettled and undercut, held and harassed by Billiken Brian Conklin’s self-professed “dirty basketball.”

But Green overcame early frustration to finish with 16 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, took three charges and hit Keith Appling (game-high 19) for a game-clinching 3.

“I don’t need to be a hero trying to make some scoop layup. If I see a guy open, I’m going to hit him,’’ said Green. “I knew once he caught the ball, it was going in. I didn’t try to get the rebound, I ran down the court. I already knew it was going in.’’

After seeing the Billikens (26-8) mount a 15-6 run to cut an 11-point Michigan State cushion down to a single basket with four minutes to play, Izzo put the game in Green’s hands and watched the senior forward win it.

Green had just found burly Derrick Nix inside for a layup, when he found Keith Appling for a jumper and a 53-49 lead. St. Louis’ Kwamai Mitchell (team-high 13) cut the lead back in half, but Green hit a left-wing jumper. Then he altered Cory Remekun’s layup, snatched the board and brought the ball up.

Green drove baseline from the left and went up for a scoop, at the last minute spotting Appling setting up in the right corner. He hit Appling with a two-handed overhead pass, and the guard’s decisive 3 bounced off the rim, the backboard and in for a 58-51 lead with 1:34 left.

“We drew up a play for him, and the defense collapsed and I was wide open. He hit me with a pass that was perfect right in my shooter’s pocket, and I was able to knock it down,’’ said Appling. “As soon as it came off of my hands, it felt good. And once I saw it go through the hoop, I was all smiles.’’

Focusing on Green opened things up for Appling, but St. Louis’ Rick Majerus had little choice.

“He’s the best player in the country,’’ Majerus gushed. “Is he the best potential player? No. I take [Anthony Davis] from Kentucky. But if I had to take a kid right now to win the national championship, I’d take Draymond Green.’’